Virginia State Police is investigating a single-vehicle crash, which resulted in a fatality. The crash occurred June 9, 2023 at 7:05 a.m. on Perrowville Road, one tenth of a mile north of Farmington Drive in Bedford County.

Franklin County High School Class of 2023 celebrated their graduation on May 25 at CY Dillion Stadium in Rocky Mount. The 2023 class at represented the school’s 73rd commencement. The class of 2023 had 433 graduates with 77 Distinguished Honor Graduates and 165 Honor Graduates. Emma Duncan, …

The Virginia Department of Health has issued a swimming advisory in certain branches of Smith Mountain Lake due to the presence of harmful algae bloom. The advisory is for three locations on the Blackwater River arm of Smith Mountain Lake, including Kemp Ford, Virginia Key and Anthony Ford L…

Summer is here, and what better way to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Smith Mountain Lake than to gather family and friends and enjoy a delicious and comforting meal. If you find yourself near Moneta, a visit to The Copper Kettle Co. is a must, especially for the grilled Scottish sal…

During the 79th anniversary commemoration of D-Day at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Governor Glenn Youngkin spoke to hundreds in attendance to honor Allied troops who fought on D-Day. 

The Smith Mountain Lake Association will present its signature event - A Day at the Lake - on June 10, 2023, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at Crazy Horse Marina. The event is free, interactive, fun-filled and dedicated to protecting the water of and promoting safe recreation at Smith Mountain Lake.

A new bagel shop has opened at Smith Mountain Lake in the Hardy area. This is the second location for Bagel & I, which also has a shop in Lynchburg. The restaurant offers a variety of bagel flavors, along with breakfast and lunch sandwiches served hot or cold, sides and salads. The full …

It’s a game in which success is measured by a path that goes full circle, both beginning and ending at a plate named home.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has reported that a former employee, Justin Sigmon, age 47, has resigned his position. Sigmon is facing a federal criminal charge after allegedly sexually abusing a minor.

The Proud Patriots of Smith Mountain Lake will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 6 beginning at 10:30 a.m. at The Celebration Room, located at  1100 Celebration Avenue, Suite 101, in Downtown Moneta. Doors open at 10 a.m.The guest speaker for June will be Everett Boone, who will disc…

The recent drowning in Moneta of John Lewis, a 51-year-old man from Portland, Or. who fell into the water from the dock, is a reminder to everyone that just being near the water is reason enough to always be prepared. A similar incident that occurred in 2022 offers even more reason for why s…

The Franklin and Pittsylvania County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program is recruiting volunteers to serve as advocates for children in the community. CASA volunteers come from all walks of life, educational backgrounds, and professional careers. These individuals are trained com…

On Sunday, June 4 from 2-4 p.m. at the Peaks of Otter in Bedford, The McKenzies will perform a free outdoor concert as part of the Milepost Music series. 

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH) applauded House passage of their Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, legislation to address the permanent scheduling of fentanyl analogues.

 The Bedford County Department of Community Development has received a withdrawal letter from Sobrius Curae, LLC, the company that applied for a special use permit for a drug treatment center or “halfway house” in Goode.

For two nights during the last weekend in April at Eastlake Community Church, Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy’s (SMLCA) Fine Arts department performed the Prince of Egypt to a crowd of more than 1,600 in attendance. The production included a cast of 70 who were predominantly high schoo…

A residential structure fire occurred at the 1000 block of Coronado Lane in Lynchburg on May 30, 2023. The Lynchburg Fire Department responded to the fire and safely evacuated six people while crews contained the fire. 

Emerson Creek Pottery will host a Spring Market at its Retail Outlet Store in Bedford County on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m.— 2 p.m. About a dozen vendors, including Porter House BBQ, will be selling their handmade and hand-picked items in addition to the sale on pottery. 

Virginia State Police is investigating a single-vehicle crash, which resulted in a fatality. The crash occurred Friday, May 26 at 1:13 p.m. on Route 220, just north of Route 641 in Henry County.

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office has reported that on May 19, 12 dogs have been rescued after being informed by a concerned citizen about a possible case of animal neglect on the 3000 block of Trents Ferry Road after seeing a frail, injured dog roaming in the area. 

The Virginia State Police is investigating a two-vehicle crash, which resulted in two fatalities. The crash occurred Sunday, May 28 at 4:46 p.m. on Blackberry Road, near Foley Drive in Henry County.

The National D-Day Memorial will honor the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of those who served on D-Day at the annual commemoration event on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 11AM. Event speakers include Governor Glenn Youngkin, Major General Timothy Williams, Dr. John C. McManus, Kevin Hymel, and Ge…

U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) announced on May 17 that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $70,000 to the West Piedmont Planning District Commission, headquartered in Martinsville, Virginia, for economic development planning.

Placement in the Weekly Planner is free for public events in the community. Submit a brief paragraph about your event to news@smithmountaineagle.com. Events will be listed once before the event. The deadline for submissions is noon on Thursdays. 

The Smith Mountain Bridge Club meets at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Community Center, located north of downtown Moneta at 4860 Rucker Road, behind and below the Moneta Pharmacy and Family Dentistry. Duplicate bridge is played and a partner is required. All bridge players are we…

All Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) stores will open at their normal hours and close at 6 p.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29.

Virginia State Police is investigating a single-vehicle crash, which resulted in a fatality.  The crash occurred Monday, May 22, 2023 at 1:10 p.m. on US Highway 29, one tenth of a mile north of Dewberry Road in Pittsylvania County.

The Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake has awarded scholarships to nine local students - six from Franklin County High School, two from Staunton River High School and one from Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy.  The scholarships will provide $1,500.00 to the school account of each studen…

The Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce (SMLRCC) has announced that it is in the process of transferring ownership of the annual Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival to a new

On April 22, Trinity Ecumenical Parish (TEP) held its second annual ‘Empty Bowls’ fundraising event to raise money for hunger relief. Coordinated by the Hunger Poverty Action Group at TEP, the ‘Empty Bowls’ fundraiser brought out 130 enthusiastic participants for the event. 

Bedford County administrator Robert Hiss has announced the selection of Kent Robey to serve as Bedford County’s new Emergency Management Director. Robey will begin his position with Bedford County on June 1st. 

Ridge View Bank is nearing completion of construction of its Smith Mountain Lake branch, which is slated to open in mid-June. The new brank is located at 160 Apron Road in Hardy, near Westlake Corners.

On Monday, May 15, shortly before 10 a.m., authorities were dispatched to the 400 block of Channelview Drive in Moneta in response to a possible drowning, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Upon arrival, an unconscious male was found in the water near a dock. Despite extensiv…

On Friday, May 12, 2023, at approximately 11:11 pm, the Town of Rocky Mount Police Department, along with Rocky Mount Fire Department, Franklin County Public Safety and the Franklin County Sheriff’s office responded to the Rocky Mount Bowling Center, located at 1555 North Main Street, follow…

The Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake held its 3rd annual Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake Charity Golf Tournament on Friday, May 12 at Copper Cove Golf Club in Hardy. The event, which had been rescheduled from April 28 due to inclement weather, raises funds to support local charities. 

The Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce held its 19th annual Smith Mountain Lake Business Expo on May 5 at Eastlake Community Church from noon – 4 p.m. This year, the Expo brought out more than 80 businesses across a variety of industries to showcase products and services relate…

Commonwealth of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares hosted the 6th annual Unsung Heroes Award Ceremony last week, recognizing Virginians who provide exemplary service and support to victims of crime in Virginia. The Office of the Attorney General established these awards to acknowledge V…

The Smith Mountain Lake Women’s Club (SMLWC) has announced that Franklin County High School graduating senior Grace Trelease is the recipient of the 2023 SMLWC Scholarship. Trelease, from Wirtz, is graduating with a 4.348 GPA and plans to attend Syracuse University this fall. 

During the Virginia Press Association’s (VPA) annual banquet held in Richmond on May 6, Smith Mountain Eagle newspaper took home a total of 13 awards - two major awards in the 2022 Advertising Sweepstakes Non-Daily 1 and the 2022 Grand Sweepstakes Non-Daily 1 awards, while also capturing 11 …

Virginia State Police is investigating a vehicle versus bicycle crash, which resulted in a fatality. The crash occurred Thursday, May 4 at 10:10 p.m. on Route 220, one tenth of a mile north of Route 619 in Franklin County.

Attorney General Jason Miyares has announced that Virginia has received a payment of $137.3 million from the major tobacco companies, including Philip Morris USA Inc, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Scandinavian Tobacco Group Lane, and ITG Brands LLC, as a result of the Tobacco Master Settlem…

US Congressman Morgan Griffith’s Ninth District staff will be available at the following Bedford and Franklin Counties locations during the month of May. Traveling staff office hours for Bedford County during May 2023 are: Location: Town of Bedford Municipal Building, 1st floor conference ro…

Placement in the Weekly Planner is free for public events in the community. Submit a brief paragraph about your event to news@smithmountaineagle.com. Events will be listed once before the event. The deadline for submissions is noon on Thursdays. 

The 27th Annual Smith Mountain Arts Council/John and Trudy Faber Memorial Photo show and contest was held on April 28 at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Moneta. A total of 188 submissions were entered with 36 of the entries completed by those 18 years of age and younger. Of the 49 parti…

The Western Virginia Water Authority (Authority), Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA), and Blue Ridge Soil and WaterConservation District are partnering once again with Benjamin Franklin Middle School (BFMS) for their annual Creek Week program. Eachspring, all Franklin County sixth grade …